What a great Leader Rell has been...announcing such a controversial proposal on Thanksgiving eve so it's buried over the holiday weekend.

Where on earth would all of the NC commuters park? There is already a shortage of commuter parking on the New Haven line. Are people supposed to drive? Is that earth friendly? What mixed signals our government gives - use less resources - but we're taking the train away.

Rell is out of her mind!! There are other ways to cut the fat and eliminate wasteful spending at MetroNorth. Her proposal for doing away with the New Canaan, Danbury and Waterbury lines is so downright stupid. She doesn't care...she's a lame female duck of a governor anyway. CT has had a string of ineffective governors - Weicker, Rowland and Rell. Time will tell if Malloy will set CT on the right course...

I am thinking that if they could expand service it will help the economy of Ct.... it's about time we think of ways to grow the economy to solve budget problems - not simply tax more and cut services but GROW the economy !

Cutting rail service is stupid. We live near the Danbury Branch's Cannondale Station and would use it more often if there was not a three hour gap between trains.

I can only imagine that this proposal is sort of a flipping the bird at Fairfield County on her way out but don't know why. It's like the fact that virtually nothing was done on Route Seven all summer when nobody was in town but as soon as school starts we begin closing lanes, bridges and the like. It would seem that Hartford has bad feelings about us down here.

Having been a long time commuter on the New Canaan Branch, I estimate that there are at least 400 people on each of the first five trains that leave New Canaan on a workday. That equates to 2,000 cars parked at the four stations on the branch line. If they close the branch, how much will it cost to create 2,000 more parking places in Stamford? Yes, there will be those that choose to drive to New York City. So make those 1,500 parking places. This would also likely be the situation in South Norwalk where the Danbury line. There goes the $5 Million in savings.

Everyone (including the Commuter Counsel members) should know that with so little use, state subsidies for service on the Waterbury Branch can't be justified in these difficult fiscal times. They just don't want to say it.

RM WATERBURY

Subsidies are fully justifies for the WATERBURY BRANCH. Check out the first several southbound trains out of Waterbury and they will compete with anything on the other branches. There is need for another north bound train from Bridgeport , but it cannot be added as the politicians in Hartford removed the passing tracks and took out the automatic signals. Oh! yes Hartford which boards much less passengers than Waterbury is getting tons of money. Yet Hartford will have tons and tons of money lavished on it. And speaking of parking lots, Waterbury needs a larger parking lot, if not a parking garage as sometimes I have to drive to Naugatuck to find a parking space.

There are only 1771 commuters, from new canaan according to wikipedia.
Of the 1771 , only 1340 commute ful time. I can say, as a long time commuter, that at least 250 commute from darien or noroton heights. Another 75 already drive to stamford. The 1771 was total who commute.
Your down to 1000 people--to have an entire train line go to? And have hourly regular service?
They shut down buses in NYC for school kids. They shut down subway lines from Broolyn and queens. And they served far more than 1000 people a day. the new canaan branch is, sadly, simply a convenience. the town of ridgefield, weston, wilton, etc all have to drive to south norwalk, goldens bridge darien, to catch a train. It loses , Im sure, a ton of money for metro north. the governors decision is a tough one, but the right one.

Rayond:
1. I agree the New Haven-Hartford/Springfield line upgrade is a huuge waste of taxpayer's dollars.
2. A few full am trains on the Waterbury line does not make the subsidies paid to operate a full time line justifiable.

Terrible idea all the way around. NC Commuters pay more than $500 a year for a parking spot --
the town will lose all that income. Many People who rely on the train to get to NC to work here will have no other way of getting here. It is dangerous for the early am commuters (5:30 and 6:21) to have to drive to other towns to get a train to work -- especially in bad weather -- there will be more accidents from tired drivers having to drive to fast to get to Darien or Stamford -- and no question that our homes all of which have lost value already, will lose more value. New Canaan is already a long commute. If our property values drop further, so does our tax base, and the quality of our schools. We will lose a lot more than the $5 million Gov. Rell thinks she is saving.
Imagine how long it will take to get to train/home at night in rush hour traffic. Shutting NC train creates more problems than it solves. This is not "leadership". It's the opposite.

darien voter?
17X for new canaan? 17X 325 =5525 commuters.
according to my search, new canaan has roughly 1000 commuters a day heading for ny via train.

Ken Danyo / Darien Voter -> Let us know the reference so we can see the same information.

now that Ridgefield / Branchville instituded a parking fee at the train station we can VERY CLEARLY see how they talk about public transportation bt dont support it . My guess its another one like Ridgefield/Branchville - ideas about the trains from people who dont ride them.

typical government out of touch thoughts and ideas.

why not look at expanding the economy to close the budget gap !

What do you expect!! The state is in a 4 BILLION DOLLAR HOLE. Blame the dems they spent the money. D'oh!! But the residents must love it they voted in the same old TAX AND SPEND DEMS AGAIN. You get the goverment you ask fore!!!!!!